[Is it possible for a voice to emulate text? Or for someone's text to so perfectly capture a voice? Katherine's pretty positive it is, because how else do you explain the way just the sound of this boy's voice has the relief she'd felt at the music stopping draining right out of her, replaced by a perfect mixture of resignation and irritation? One look at his face and she's fairly certain she remembers his profile picture from a certain application, one where he'd been just as cheeky with her as he's being here.]
I'm pretty sure you don't need me to show you how to go play in traffic. If you're looking to get there quick, though, I'd say one of the buses should be your best bet.
[It's said in an undertone, almost to herself as she half-turns away from her. She already knew that he was a bit full of himself, but it's a force to behold in person.]
Tell me something, do these cheesy pick-up lines of yours ever actually work? Or do you just get a kick out of embarrassing yourself in front of women?
[ Now that's a laugh, and Jack isn't afraid to show it. He knows she isn't trying to be funny, but damn if she hasn't nailed it. ]
If I let every little thing bother me, I'd never get anywhere, now would I? And oh, yeah - they do. Why, you looking to try some of your own? 'Cause I would be honored to be your sounding board.
I don't need pick-up lines; what I need are put-down lines for cheeky boys that think they're going to get anywhere with me.
[Okay, so she's met someone else from the Retrospec network and it's stopped making noise... does that mean she can leave now? Kath's checking around, trying to figure out the easiest out she has.]
Don't you have anything better to do than waste other people's time?
[ For a second he doesn't respond and just stands there, looking mildly confused. Deja vu? He could swear they’ve had this conversation before, but Jack’s also pretty sure he’s never seen this girl before in his life - at least not before this whole Retrospec thing started.
After a moment, he pulls himself together and tries to cover that hesitation with the usual smug grin, and holds up his hands in a gesture of peace. ]
Hey, I was just minding my own business and following some lights. It’s not my fault we ended up here. Together.
Alone.
[ Just in case you forgot about that part.
Both hands flop to his sides, and Jack takes a step closer. ]
What’re you doing out here, if you’re so busy? Didn’t look like anything important to me.
[In spite of herself, the sense of bemusement she's reading from him causes Katherine to drop her defenses momentarily, peering at him with a sense of faint concern. Is he all right...?
And then he continues, and the walls come back up, eyebrows raising with the come-on. Yeeaaahhhh, okay....
Luckily after a moment he's moving on, and Kath will be more than happy to follow him to that new topic, eyebrows dropping back down and hands going to her hips.]
I was on my way to campus, if you must know. We may be a tenth of our normal sizes, but the world hasn't stopped spinning just because it's stopped making sense. Some of us have exams to prepare for.
[ Please, Katherine, we all have lives to attend to here. Just because Jack isn’t as big a fan of homework as his roommate doesn’t mean he’s going to just slack off! ]
You’d be better off getting yourself a dog to get there, you know. Can’t get too far on your own as a half-pint.
I’d suggest wearing a poncho, though. All that dog slobber might ruin that pretty skirt of yours.
[Now it's Katherine's turn to look momentarily bemused--why does this feel so familiar...? The two of them have never met in person before, she knows that for certain, and yet...
"I'd rather tell you about what I'm hoping for tonight."
It's the same voice, the same tone, even the same face shape--though there's dirt on his face, a little smudge right there on his cheek... Kath blinks, mentally giving herself a shake to snap out of it.
What was he saying?]
A dog?
You know, that's actually not the worst idea I've ever heard. I'm sure I could take one of the rotties, maybe Orthus...
[She wasn't expecting him to wind up being helpful at all! Surprise, surprise.]
[ He tips his head in acknowledgement. No one likes to believe that he can have good ideas, but the fact is, he does, once in awhile. Sometimes they just need a little work is all. ]
Happy to be of service.
[ And now that the time for being helpful has passed… ]
And if you ever want to return the favor…
[ He’ll just let that stand. The implication should be obvious in the way he grins. ]
Not a phrase to be used lightly, Professor. [She's teasing (mostly).] I only wonder what it was that prompted the sudden freeze. Random chance?
[For a moment, Kath is all ready to decline Ardyn's offer of help, the gesture toward the shelves tricking her into almost missing the second half of what he says. But then the words sink in, and for a moment she's speechless--what an offer! But would it be cheating to accept...?
It would certainly help her to get through all of the work she has this week...]
I'll accept that offer, but I'll also make it a point to study the cases we discuss later on when all of this is over. I can't just coast on the experience of my professors, can I?
[He chuckles at her studiousness. If only more students were like her, everyone's life would be so much easier.]
Then I'll hold you to it. [He leans in conspiratorially, still obviously joking.] Just don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain.
[He straightens with a satisfied look.] Besides, I wouldn't call it "coasting". You're at a disadvantage now, being so small. We're only leveling the playing field.
[But, as he straightens up, she can't help but point out:] You say that, but it's still an unfair advantage that the rest of the students in the class don't have.
[Though she's certainly not trying to dissuade him! Only to make clear her position. So as she fetches the pad of small post-it notes she's taken to using as a notebook and the piece of pencil lead wrapped in paper that serves as a pencil, she's musing aloud.]
I suppose they missed out on their opportunity by not being here today, haven't they?
[On what would be "three," Kath leans back, pushing into her heels and yanking at the binding with all of her might. The books are wedged tightly together, but between both of their efforts it comes out slowly but surely, only catching a couple times as Kath has to shift her position (her arms are only so long, and she doesn't want to go tumbling to the floor along with the book!).]
It's almost there--be careful you don't fall with it!
[Finally, with a last push from Seto and a shove from Kath, sitting on top of the book she'd originally been bracing against, it goes tumbling to the floor.]
Finally! Thank you, Seto, I couldn't have done it without you.
[With another smile, she hops off the top of the book, dropping down to the shelf behind him.]
How's your work been going? I hope waking up six inches tall hasn't put you too far behind...
[ That feeling of success? Always gratifying. The book falls out of its place on the shelf, and since his job is done, he pushes himself to recover his stance, dusting his hands off because that actually was a little harder than he had expected it to look.
He hears the telltale sound of Kath landing behind him before he turns around. ] No problem. Work is. [ An exhale, and then it's followed by possibly the ugliest scowl that Kath has probably ever seen Seto make. Sure, she's probably seen him scowl and mutter furiously while hacking away at his caseload while working for her father, but sorting through case files is a million times easier than trying to use a computer when he's six inches tall.
In other words, it's a bloody nightmare. ]
Terrible. I think you'd say the same about finals week. [ He only has one paper and feels like murder. He can't imagine how stressed Kath is probably feeling. ]
[She has to fight not to burst into laughter at the scowl on his face. It's really not funny at all, but she understands entirely the frustration he's feeling right now.]
Finals... could be worse. Most of my professors haven't even realized something's wrong, much less how impossible it is to get work done at this size. It's a lucky break that Professor Izunia is a part of all this as well. He's canceled everything for the week, so that's one less course to worry about for now.
But at least I can write everything down in pencil and hope things go back to normal before I have to type everything up. You have to type everything from the start, don't you?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
abovethefold) wrote2017-05-15 10:42 am
May 2017
Event: Jack
[Is it possible for a voice to emulate text? Or for someone's text to so perfectly capture a voice? Katherine's pretty positive it is, because how else do you explain the way just the sound of this boy's voice has the relief she'd felt at the music stopping draining right out of her, replaced by a perfect mixture of resignation and irritation? One look at his face and she's fairly certain she remembers his profile picture from a certain application, one where he'd been just as cheeky with her as he's being here.]
I'm pretty sure you don't need me to show you how to go play in traffic. If you're looking to get there quick, though, I'd say one of the buses should be your best bet.
Quick, why don't you go and catch one?
no subject
[ He flashes her a smile, not deterred in the least. You tried, Katherine, but Jackie tries harder. ]
You’d think that’s fate.
no subject
[It's said in an undertone, almost to herself as she half-turns away from her. She already knew that he was a bit full of himself, but it's a force to behold in person.]
Tell me something, do these cheesy pick-up lines of yours ever actually work? Or do you just get a kick out of embarrassing yourself in front of women?
no subject
If I let every little thing bother me, I'd never get anywhere, now would I? And oh, yeah - they do. Why, you looking to try some of your own? 'Cause I would be honored to be your sounding board.
no subject
I don't need pick-up lines; what I need are put-down lines for cheeky boys that think they're going to get anywhere with me.
[Okay, so she's met someone else from the Retrospec network and it's stopped making noise... does that mean she can leave now? Kath's checking around, trying to figure out the easiest out she has.]
Don't you have anything better to do than waste other people's time?
no subject
After a moment, he pulls himself together and tries to cover that hesitation with the usual smug grin, and holds up his hands in a gesture of peace. ]
Hey, I was just minding my own business and following some lights. It’s not my fault we ended up here. Together.
Alone.
[ Just in case you forgot about that part.
Both hands flop to his sides, and Jack takes a step closer. ]
What’re you doing out here, if you’re so busy? Didn’t look like anything important to me.
no subject
And then he continues, and the walls come back up, eyebrows raising with the come-on. Yeeaaahhhh, okay....
Luckily after a moment he's moving on, and Kath will be more than happy to follow him to that new topic, eyebrows dropping back down and hands going to her hips.]
I was on my way to campus, if you must know. We may be a tenth of our normal sizes, but the world hasn't stopped spinning just because it's stopped making sense. Some of us have exams to prepare for.
no subject
[ Please, Katherine, we all have lives to attend to here. Just because Jack isn’t as big a fan of homework as his roommate doesn’t mean he’s going to just slack off! ]
You’d be better off getting yourself a dog to get there, you know. Can’t get too far on your own as a half-pint.
I’d suggest wearing a poncho, though. All that dog slobber might ruin that pretty skirt of yours.
no subject
"I'd rather tell you about what I'm hoping for tonight."
It's the same voice, the same tone, even the same face shape--though there's dirt on his face, a little smudge right there on his cheek... Kath blinks, mentally giving herself a shake to snap out of it.
What was he saying?]
A dog?
You know, that's actually not the worst idea I've ever heard. I'm sure I could take one of the rotties, maybe Orthus...
[She wasn't expecting him to wind up being helpful at all! Surprise, surprise.]
no subject
Happy to be of service.
[ And now that the time for being helpful has passed… ]
And if you ever want to return the favor…
[ He’ll just let that stand. The implication should be obvious in the way he grins. ]
Event: Ardyn
Not a phrase to be used lightly, Professor. [She's teasing (mostly).] I only wonder what it was that prompted the sudden freeze. Random chance?
[For a moment, Kath is all ready to decline Ardyn's offer of help, the gesture toward the shelves tricking her into almost missing the second half of what he says. But then the words sink in, and for a moment she's speechless--what an offer! But would it be cheating to accept...?
It would certainly help her to get through all of the work she has this week...]
I'll accept that offer, but I'll also make it a point to study the cases we discuss later on when all of this is over. I can't just coast on the experience of my professors, can I?
[If it's ever over.]
no subject
Then I'll hold you to it. [He leans in conspiratorially, still obviously joking.] Just don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain.
[He straightens with a satisfied look.] Besides, I wouldn't call it "coasting". You're at a disadvantage now, being so small. We're only leveling the playing field.
no subject
[But, as he straightens up, she can't help but point out:] You say that, but it's still an unfair advantage that the rest of the students in the class don't have.
[Though she's certainly not trying to dissuade him! Only to make clear her position. So as she fetches the pad of small post-it notes she's taken to using as a notebook and the piece of pencil lead wrapped in paper that serves as a pencil, she's musing aloud.]
I suppose they missed out on their opportunity by not being here today, haven't they?
Event: Seto
[On what would be "three," Kath leans back, pushing into her heels and yanking at the binding with all of her might. The books are wedged tightly together, but between both of their efforts it comes out slowly but surely, only catching a couple times as Kath has to shift her position (her arms are only so long, and she doesn't want to go tumbling to the floor along with the book!).]
It's almost there--be careful you don't fall with it!
[Finally, with a last push from Seto and a shove from Kath, sitting on top of the book she'd originally been bracing against, it goes tumbling to the floor.]
Finally! Thank you, Seto, I couldn't have done it without you.
[With another smile, she hops off the top of the book, dropping down to the shelf behind him.]
How's your work been going? I hope waking up six inches tall hasn't put you too far behind...
no subject
He hears the telltale sound of Kath landing behind him before he turns around. ] No problem. Work is. [ An exhale, and then it's followed by possibly the ugliest scowl that Kath has probably ever seen Seto make. Sure, she's probably seen him scowl and mutter furiously while hacking away at his caseload while working for her father, but sorting through case files is a million times easier than trying to use a computer when he's six inches tall.
In other words, it's a bloody nightmare. ]
Terrible. I think you'd say the same about finals week. [ He only has one paper and feels like murder. He can't imagine how stressed Kath is probably feeling. ]
no subject
Finals... could be worse. Most of my professors haven't even realized something's wrong, much less how impossible it is to get work done at this size. It's a lucky break that Professor Izunia is a part of all this as well. He's canceled everything for the week, so that's one less course to worry about for now.
But at least I can write everything down in pencil and hope things go back to normal before I have to type everything up. You have to type everything from the start, don't you?